Techbargains Reviews

As Verizon's LTE network grows, so does the assortment of devices and mobile hotspots capable of taking advantage of the speedy new infrastructure. Verizon's latest line of mobile hotspots, branded "Jetpacks," offer users an easy way to tap into the LTE network. The 890L Jetpack features a bright OLED display, touch controls, and the ability to support up to 10 devices over Wi-Fi. As hotspots go, there isn't much more you could ask for.

Main Features and Specifications:

Global-ready 4G LTE wireless hotspot

Connects up to 10 devices over 4G; 5 devices over 3G

Rated download speeds between 5 and 12Mbps; upload speeds between 2 and 5Mbps

Easy Setup: There is not much in the way of setup with the Jetpack, simply slide the power switch to the "on" position and within 30 seconds it finds the fastest available cell network and activates the Wi-Fi radio. Connecting your laptop or tablet to the Jetpack is as easy as connecting to a standard wireless network. To make things even easier, the Jetpack displays the default password on the OLED display.

4G LTE Network: Verizon's 4G network around the Boston area is impressive. During our tests, we were able to achieve an average download speed of around 10Mbps and upload speeds approaching 7Mbps. We've certainly seen faster speeds on Verizon's LTE network (one of the 4G handsets we tested topped out at nearly 25Mbps!) but 10Mbps is right in line with what Verizon tells users to expect.

OLED Display: The large OLED display makes it easy to see important information at a glance. On the top bar you can see network type (3G or 4G LTE), data activity, and battery status (you get a 4 segment readout). The rest of the display is broken out into 4 quadrants. Moving clockwise from left to right you have signal strength, a pie chart/number displaying number of devices connected at a given time, settings menu, and a messages pane. Each of these display items can be clicked into for either more information or to control additional settings. For example, clicking into the pie chart of connected devices lets you drill down to actually see the names of the devices connected to the hotspot.

Controls: Navigating the menus of the Jetpack is done via three buttons: up, down, and OK. Pressing either the up or down button will move you through the quadrants of the menu. It does take a few minutes to get used to, but once you learn the "back" selection is present at the bottom of each menu, it all makes sense. Overall, the combination of responsive touch buttons and informative display makes controlling the 890L a breeze.

What We Didn't Like:

Size: This is the largest Wi-Fi hotspot we have tested. It's not huge, but the Verizon SCH-LC11 we tested last year provided the same fast speeds at about half the mass. We would be more understanding if the battery life was greater, but 5 hours seems to be fairly standard across the board.

Our Verdict:

If you're in the market for a 4G wireless hotspot, you can't go wrong with the 890L. It's easy to set up, the menu system is intuitive, and the OLED display is excellent. We have seen faster download/upload speeds with some of Verizon's other hotspots, but at 10Mbps down, it's still plenty fast. Battery life and signal strength (both down from the cell tower and out via WiFi) are good, and overall we had no complaints about the UI. The only thing we docked the 890L for was the size. It is larger than most hotspots and we couldn't figure out why. Overall, Verizon's LTE network continues to impress and we can't see any reason not to go with this easy to use Jetpack. Both in terms of functionality and ease of use, the Verizon Jetpack 890L is top notch.